There is a running joke around the office about my "love" of twitter. So, it was not surprising when my colleagues asked if I will run out and buy a Ford after the news that twitter will be incorporated into future Ford Motor Co. vehicles. (And, the answer is no, by the way.)

But, in all sincerity, as a public relations professional who loves to connect with people and needs to stay tuned into the latest industry news, twitter has been very helpful. Here are a few simple examples of how you can use it:

• Follow publications that are relevant to your space to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the industry. On my personal twitter account (@ABBYBUTT), I recently started a B2B publication list… check it out – and if you are an editor or a publication and I missed you on the list,
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Social media is about engaging in conversations with decision makers and influencers directly via the Internet. It’s about community and collaboration. And, with the changing media landscape, there are a lot of ways to engage in those conversations – from blogs to podcasts to social networks… the list goes on and on.

In fact, check out Brian Solis’ Conversation Prism to see the endless possibilities. At first glance, this conversation prism may appear overwhelming. But, instead, think of all of the opportunities that exist within this prism for you to have conversations – and build relationships – with ALL of the various channels you are trying to reach.

With social media, you are able to: improve customer communication and collaboration; track sentiment about the company; identify advocates, influencers and enthusiasts; spot any
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Having recently gotten married, people often ask me, “How is the cooking coming along?” It got me to thinking. While it is sometimes challenging, at least I have clearly defined recipes to help me. And, on top of that, the wonderful thing about cooking is that I will know (after about 350 degrees and 30 minutes), whether or not my creation is a success.

Boy do I wish public relations would be like cooking! Unfortunately, in these two aspects in particular, cooking and public relations are quite different from each other. Public relations is primarily about building awareness and it takes time to build relationships and make an impression. It certainly isn’t instant and there is nothing that can clearly designate how long it will take to make an impact. There is no clear recipe to follow—every company is different and we can only use the case studies of those who have come before us as a guide.
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